29. A Glorious Empress’ Inglorious Demise
Catherine II, also known as Catherine the Great (1729 – 1796), ruled Russia from 1762 until her death. A German-born princess, she ascended the throne after she had her husband, Tsar Peter III, assassinated. She continued the westernization work begun by Tsar Peter the Great, and by the end of her reign, Russia had fully joined the mainstream of European political and cultural life.
However, Catherine’s regal reign was not to be matched by a regal demise. Rumors circulated that the insatiable Tsarina had died after sustaining injuries from having sex with a horse. The truth was less scandalous, but embarrassing all the same: she died taking a dump.